Strainer.



,No. 688,397. Patented. Dec. I0, mm.

L. H. DES ISLES.

I STRAINER.

(Application filed Feb. 18, 1901.

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No. 688,397. Patented Dec. l0, [90L I L. H. DES ISLES.

STBAINER.

(Application filed. Feb. 18, 1901.)

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LEONARD H. DES ISLES, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

STRAlNER.

SPECIFICATION fog part of Letters Patent No. 688,397, dated December 1 0Application filed February 18, 1901. Serial No. 47,745. (No model.)

Toall whmn it may concern; 7

Be it known that I, LEONARD H; DEs IsLEs,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Cam which the following is aspecification.

My invention is intended to provide a simple and practical strainerwhich may be readily attached to and detached from a kettle, stew-pan,orsimilar devicewhen desired.

A strainer made in accordance with my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the strainersecured to the top ofv a stew-pan. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 00 win Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slightly modified form ofstrainer. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing another modification, and Fig. 5is a section on the line 1 'y in Fig. 4.

My strainer comprises, generally speaking, a perforated body portion orstrainer proper, in combination with novel means for clamping said bodyportion to the top of the vessel with which it is to be used.

The perforated body portion 2 of the strainer may beof any desiredconstruction; but it preferably consists of a frame 3, covered withWire-netting 4, the edge of which is wrapped around said frame or isotherwise secured thereto. In the form of strainer shown in the drawingsone side of the frame 3 is curved to conform substantially to theoutline of a portion of the top of a stew-pan or similar vessel 5, beingprovided with a projecting portion 6 to cover the nose of said vessel,while the inner side of said frame 3 is straight but the particular formof the body portion 2 is not material so far as my invention isconcerned.

My improved clamping device for securing the body portion 2 to thevessel 5 comprises two downwardly-projecting hooks or fingers 7,soldered or otherwise rigidly secured to the curved edge of the bodyportion 2, and thus forming practically a part thereof,and an arm 8,pivotally connected with said body portion at a point near enough to thehooks 7 so that it will always lie between the same and the center ofany vessel to which the strainer is adapted to be applied, said arm 8being proing projections or fingers 9, adapted to engage the edge of thevessel 5 at a pointsubstantiall y opposite to the hooks 7. The hooks 7may conveniently be formed from the ends of a stiff piece of wire, thecentral portion 10 of the latter being bent tolie close to the top ofthe body portion 2 and provided with the pivot 11, on which the arm 8turns. It is desirable, although not essential, to provide aconsiderable degree of flexibility and elasticity at some point betweenthe hooks 7 and the arm 8, for areason hereinafter described, and I haveshown in the drawings several arrangements for accomplishing thisresult. Thus in Figs. 1 and 2 said central portion 10 is formed like adouble 8, as shown at 12, while in Fig. 3 the central portion 10 isstraight, and the desired flexibility is ob tained by inserting abow-spring 13 between the arm 8 and the pivot 11, said bow spring beingrigidly secured to said arm 8 and journaled on said pivot 11, as shown.In Fig. 4 said central portion is corrugated, as shown at 10 The hooks 7are sufficiently near each other to insure their engagement with oneside of the vessel 5 regardless of its size, and in order to adapt mystrainer to be used with vessels of difierent sizes I have shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3 a number of projections 9, formed vided with one ormore downwardly-extendon the arm 8, preferably by stamping them from itssubstance and bending them downward, as shown. In place of having anumber of such projections the arm 8 may be provided with a slotted clip14, arranged to slide on said arm and having a downwardly-pro j ectingend 15, which forms an adjustable finger adapted to engage the edge ofthe vessel, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this form of the device theclip 14 is retained in any desired position on the arm 8 by the bindingof the edges of the slot 16 on saidarm in a wellknown manner and isreleased by pressing down the thumb-piece 17, said slot beingsufficiently large to permit the clip 14 to tilt the proper amount toaccomplish these results.

To attach the strainer shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to a vessel, the bodyportion 2 is laid over one edge thereof, with the hooks 7 projectingdownward and engaging the side of said vessel. The arm 8, which haspreviously been moved a little to one side of its central position, isthen placed against the top of the opposite edge of the vessel, thusbringing said edge in front of one of the projections 9, and is movedtoward the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon, since the point at whichthe arm 8 is pivoted to the body portion 2 is located between the hooks7 and the center of the vessel, said movement of the arm 8 will causethat projection 9 which lies next outside of the edge of the vessel tobind against the same, thereby clamping the vessel between saidprojection and the hooks 7 and securing the strainer firmly in place.

Byproviding a suflicient number of projcctions 9 my strainer may beadapted to be attached to vessels of any desired size, the f unction ofthe spring connection between the arm 8 and the body portion 2 being toprovide forthe movement of said arm into its central position eventhough the edge of the vessel be engaged by a projection 9 at somedistance from said position. The force of the clamping action is thusmeasured by the tension of said spring connection when employed.

To apply to a vessel that form of my device which is shown in Figs. 4and 5, after the arm 8 has been swung a little to one side and the bodyportion 2 has been applied to the vessel the clip 14 is slid against theopposite edge of the vessel and the arm 8 is moved toward the positionshown in Fig. 4, whereupon said clip let is caused by the engagement ofits end 15 with the side of the vessel to bind against the arm 8, asabove explained, and said end 15 thereupon clamps the vessel betweenitself and thehooks 7 in the manner above set forth.

I do not consider my invention to be limited to any particular form ofbody portion nor to any particular arrangement for pivotally connectingthe arm 8 thereto, since these details may be varied at will, nor is myinvention limited to the provision of a flexible connection between thearm 8 and the body portion 2, since such connection may be omitted, ifdesired, without materially affecting the efiiciency of the device,particularly when the adjustable clip shown in Figs. 4 and 5 isemployed.

I claim as my invention 1. A strainer comprising a perforated bodyportion provided with two downwardly-projecting hooks adapted to engageone side of a vessel, in combination with an arm pivotally connectedwith said body portion and provided with a downwardly-extending fingeradapted to engage the opposite side of said vessel, substantially asdescribed.

2. A strainer comprising, in combination, a perforated body portionhaving two downwardly projecting hooks rigidly secured thereto andadapted to engage one side of a vessel, an arm provided with adownwardly.-.

extending finger adapted to engage the opposite side of the vessel, anda flexible connection between said arm and body portion, said arm beingpivotally attached to said connection.

3. A strainer comprising a perforated body portion, a wire securedthereto and having its ends formed into downwardly-projecting hooks, andan arm pivoted to said wire and provided with one or moredownwardly-extending fingers, for the purpose set forth.

4. A strainer comprising a perforated body portion, a wire rigidlysecured thereto and having its ends formed into downwardly-projectinghooks, the central portion of said wire being bent to form a spring andprovided with a pivot, and an arm journaled at one end on said pivot andprovided with a number of downwardlyextending projections, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th day ofFebruary, 1901.

LEONARD I-I. DES ISLES. Witnesses:

E. D. CHADWICK, ELLEN F. CoLLINs.

